On Board for Change: Andy’s Story

Four years ago, shortly after the world began adjusting to post-COVID realities, Andy Koblenz, who serves as the Executive Vice President, Strategic Affairs and Industry Initiatives for the National Automobile Dealers Association, met CEO Marty Schwartz over lunch. The meeting was the beginning of a connection that would lead to a position on the Vehicles for Change National Board. 

Though their initial conversation didn’t immediately spark a partnership, things changed when former Vehicles for Change board member Felecia Rotellini reached out to Andy. Her mention of the organization’s mission—awarding cars, workforce development, and financial literacy resonated with Andy, who agreed to meet with Felecia and Marty. It didn’t take long for him to see the impact of Vehicles for Change. 

For Andy, the connection to the work was immediate. “A car is so much more than just a mode of transportation,” he often says. “It’s a ticket to a better life.” Over time, he witnessed lives transformed through the car award program. One moment that particularly stood out was when a mother, able to attend her son’s football game thanks to the car she received, shared how her child had scored two touchdowns. “She couldn’t have been there, and he wouldn’t have been able to play without that car,” Andy recalls. “That’s what makes this work so special.” 

But Andy’s contributions have gone beyond just helping hand out cars. He’s been an integral part of refining and expanding the program, working to create a comprehensive “how-to” guide for dealerships across the country to implement similar car award programs in their own communities. In Shreveport, for example, a dealership successfully piloted the program, and the local media covered the stories of the individuals who were awarded cars. Andy was thrilled not by the media attention on the event, but by the opportunity to see the program grow, and more importantly, the lives it was impacting. 

Reflecting on his own journey, Andy recalls his first car, a 1970’s Plymouth Scamp his father bought for him. It carried him through law school and beyond. Later, as he and his wife were buying a new Honda Civic, the Scamp broke down on a hill, just as they arrived at the dealership. “We just coasted into the dealership,” he laughs, remembering how that car, which had served him so well, was finally replaced—just as so many other cars continue to change lives through Vehicles for Change.